A typical poultry house is long structure that may have a length of several hundred feet, a width of about 40-60 feet, and may house about 15,000-20,000 birds. Poultry houses are often equipped with an automated feeding system consisting of one or more feed delivery lines which run the length of the poultry house.
Poultry feedings systems of the pan-type are well-known in the art. Examples of such feeding systems and feeders used in them are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,655,317; 5,007,380; 4,476,811; 4,003,339; 3,971,340; 3,598,087; 3,415,228; 3,230,933; and 3,033,163; which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. As generally disclosed in these various patents, feed from an bulk feed storage tank located outside of the poultry house is conveyed and discharged into one or more feed hoppers or similar distributed receptacles that may be located inside the house.
An example of conventional pan-type feeding systems are shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. Such poultry feeding systems generally include one or more indoor feed supply hoppers A fluidly coupled to a feed conveyor tube B communicating with the bottom of each hopper. A main feed supply pipe Q fluidly connects the outdoor bulk feed storage tank (not shown) to the one or more feed supply hoppers A and their respective feed conveyor tubes B. The supply hoppers A may be fluidly connected to the main feed supply pipe Q with expansion joints R that allow the supply hoppers A to be raised or lowered with respect to the stationary supply pipe Q which is fixedly hung from the poultry house structure.
In known fashion, within the feed conveyor tube B is a helical conveyor or auger driven by motor C that conveys the granular feed from the hopper A into the plurality of poultry feeders D. Each of the poultry feeders D has a feed bowl or pan E into which the feed passes from feed conveyor tube B through a feed drop tube or feeder tower H, and a protective grill F that enables the birds to obtain feed from the feeder pan, but prevents the birds from entering the feeder pan (see also FIGS. 2A and 2B showing a feeder D and feeder tower H, respectively).
As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the generally tubular feeder tower H may contain windows or openings L through which feed is delivered to the feed pan E and a plurality of fins M to minimize the likelihood of birds from scratching feed out of the pan. The feeder towers H generally include provisions on top for supporting an anti-roost wire K that extends longitudinally along and above feed conveyor tube B as shown in FIG. 1.
It is also known to support the poultry feeders D by attaching the feeder tower H of the feeders to the conveyor tube B as shown in FIG. 1 via an opening J formed in a feeder tower cap I affixed to the top of the feeder tower (see also FIGS. 2A and 2B). Openings in the feed conveyor tube B communicate with a feed inlet in the tower cap I that delivers feed to the feeder pan D below via gravity.
When the birds are very young, the poultry feeders D may be located on, or adjacent to the floor (not shown below the feeders). As the birds mature and grow, the entire feeding system is raised above floor level to enable the birds to readily access and obtain feed from the feeder pans. Typically, a motorized (or alternatively manual) winch system is provided comprising a motorized winch N and a series of pulleys O and support wires G attached to the feed conveyor tube B that are used to support the poultry feeders D. The entire conveyor tube/poultry feeder assembly B, D is raised or lowered in unison as a single unit to a using the winch system to the desired level needed to effectively feed the birds.
For broiler breeders, it is desirable to carefully ration the amount of feed that the birds receive to allow for a more moderate growth rate than broilers. As an example, breeders may be generally fed approximately 110-170 grams of feed daily in contrast to broilers which are fed larger amounts of feed to attain grow-out size more quickly. Accordingly, there is a further need to provide the ability to regulate the amount of feed charged in the feeder D in a controlled manner.
Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the relative positions between the bottom outlet of the feeder tower H and the feed pan E may be manually adjusted via adjustment ring mechanisms P (often marked with indicia Q for setting repeatability) in some of the foregoing known feeders D. This restricts and regulates the amount of feed that may enter and fill the pan to obtain a predetermined desired level of feed in the pan during the pan filling operation of the feed system. Although such feeder systems may regulate the amount of feed provided to the birds, these known system generally do not provide a means for fully closing or shutting off the feeders D and preventing the delivery of feed from the feeder tower H into the feed pan E. Because these prior known feeders D are generally always in an “open” or “on” condition such that when feed is delivered to the feeders via feed conveyor tube B during the feeder fill or charging operation, the feed is immediately dispensed from the feeder tower H into the feed pan E in real time to the awaiting birds. Therefore, these known feed systems generally lack the ability to keep the feed conveyor tube B network and feeders D fully charged immediately prior to the intended feeding time, which is important for ensuring that an accurate amount of feed is dispensed to the birds and that all feeders D are uniformly filled with the same amount of feed and available at the same time.
In addition, if feed equipment malfunctions occur during the instantaneous type feeder charging and feed dispensing operation with such known feed systems, there is little or no time to take corrective action to remedy the equipment problems. The feeders may be only partially charged or not charged at all with feed. Consequently, the birds may not receive feed at the intended time.
A problem also encountered in commercial poultry production is a way to effectively control the growth of a bird's beak. Because poultry tend to peck each other, it is important to keep the beaks trimmed in length to prevent injury to the birds. In addition, if the growth of the beak is not controlled in some manner, crossing may occur as the beak grows very long which interferes with the ability of the bird to feed properly.
In their natural free range habitat, the length of a bird's beak is controlled by feeding off the ground. Pebbles or stones keeps the beaks trimmed in length by gradually abrading away the beak at a relatively slow pace while the birds feed. Conventional feeders as described herein do not provide a mechanism for keeping the beaks trimmed. Such feeders generally are comprised of a plastic feeder tower and feeder pan which are softer than a bird's beak and thus incapable of abrading and controlling the length of the beak.
Beak trimming (also referred to as “debeaking”) has been employed in an attempt to control beak growth. In this practice, part of the beak is removed to shorten the length of the beak. However, this practice is controversial and cumbersome to implement as each bird must have its beak trimmed.
Some attempts have been made to apply a thin abrasive coating directly onto the generally plastic poultry feeder itself with an adhesive, or to directly apply thin sheets of abrasive material similar to sandpaper to the feeder which has an adhesive backing are flexible enough to conform to the shape of the feeder surfaces to which the sheet is applied. Such an arrangement is shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,235,934. However, the birds may quickly wear through such thin layers of abrasive rendering the feeders ineffective for controlling beak length and growth. Moreover, once the abrasive material is gone from the already worn feeder pans and/or towers, it generally impractical to thoroughly clean each and every feeder and then attempt to properly reapply a new abrasive coating or sheets and achieve satisfactory adhesion. The feeder pans must therefore be discarded and replaced with all new pans.
An improved poultry feeder with readily replaceable beak growth control device is therefore desired.